Joseph h



(No Modeh) i J; H. HUBBELL.

' HYDRAULIG RELIEF VALVE MEGHA-NISM No. 569,921. Patented Oct. 20,1896;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. HUBBELL, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUCKEYE IRON ANDBRASS WORKS,

OF SAME PLACE.

HYDRAULIC RELIEF-VALVE MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 569.921, dated October20, 1896. Application filed March 24, 1896. Serial No. 684,636. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. I-IUBBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Relief-ValveMechanism, of which the following is a specifica tion. A

This invention relates to that'class of relief-valve mechanism designedfor operative connection with the working cylinder of a hydraulic jackor other hydraulic machinery wherein the relief-valve is opened orunseated to permit the release of the surplus pressure fluid in transitto the working cylinder after the required pressure fluid has beensupplied thereto or after the jack or other hydraulic machine is inoperation.

In ordinary relief-valve mechanism of the character alluded to thepressure relief-valve is only raised from its seat a slight distance topermit the surplus pressure fluid to escape in a comparativelycontracted or thin stream through the valve-casing to the escape oroutlet thereof, which results in heating or cutting both therelief-valve and its seat, which is damaging and thereforeobjectionable. Further, in prior constructions the relief-valve isinstantly reseated when a small quantity of the pressure fluid iswithdrawn from the working cylinder during the operation of the jack orother hydraulic machine, thereby reapplying or restoring the fullpressure of the fluid through the relief-valve casing to the workingcylinder and replacing almost instantly a quantity of pressure fluidproportionate to the quantity which has been withdrawn. This operationcauses the reliefvalve to again swiftly open, and this action continuesat comparatively brief intervals, so that the hydraulic pump or otherfluidactuator is subjected to a jerky action and strain, which isobjectionable in that it is destructive to a nicely-constructedhydraulic pump or other fluid-actuator. I

The objects of my invention are to avoid the objections stated; toprovide a novel mechanism having a new mode of operation which willeffectually prevent heating and cutting of the reliefvalve and its seat,and which will enable the hydraulic pump orother fluid-actuator to workcontinuously, easily,

and without a jerky action, for a comparatively long period,and thenremain inactive,or at rest, for another comparatively long period, incontradistinction to working at brief intervals with a jerky action,which strains the pump mechanism, renders it less durable, and in timedestroys its usefulness as regards perfect and satisfactory work.

To accomplish allthese objects, my invention consists, among otherthings, in the combination, with the relief-valve of a hydraulicmachine, of a lever for opening the reliefvalve, a lifting-bar forlifting the valve-opening lever, a traveling finger, a device forholding the valve-opening lever raised, a spring placed under tension bythe up motion of the traveling finger until the spring-pressureovercomes the fluid-pressure on the valve, and meansfor releasing thevalve-holding device when the lifting-bar descends.

The invention also consists in the features of construction and in thecombination or arrangement of parts, involving the mode of operation,hereinafter described and claimed, reference being ma e to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevationof my improved relief-valve mechanism, sufficient parts being shown foroperative connection with a hydraulic jack or other hydraulic machineryto enable the invention to be clearly understood. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the relief-valve-operating lever. Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the latch-bar or trigger forengaging and disengaging the trip-head of the lever-lifting bar. Fig. 5is an edge view of the same. Fig. 6 is a side view of the leverliftingbar. Fig. 7 is an edge View of the same. Fig. 8 is a detail sideelevation of the double-armed frame, in which'the lever-lift ing bar andthe latch-bar or trigger are mounted. Fig. 9 is a top plan View of thesame, and Fig. 10 is an edge view of the, 1.

same.

In order to eliable those skilled in the to make and use my invention, Iwill now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings,wherein- Theletter Z indicates a suitable base-frame, to which issecured an upright frame or standard U, carrying a double-armed frame F,mounted vertically thereupon and constructed in any suitable manner toreceive and support a vertica-lly-movable lifting-bar B and anoscillating or rocking latch-bar or trigger T. The liftingbar issusceptible of sliding perpendicularly in suitable openings in the upperand lower arms of the frame F, and the latch-bar or trigger is pivoted,as at I, to the lower arm of this frame, and ex tends through a slot inthe upper arm, so that it can oscillate or rock toward and from atrip-head A on the upper end portion of the lifting-bar.

The upper end of the latch-bar or trigger is beveled, and, as hereshown, it is approximately hook-shaped, and the face of the triphead isconvex or rounded, the construction being such that when the lifting-baris moved upward and the trip-head rises above the latch-bar or triggerthe latter can be rocked or swung forward to the position indicated bydotted lines, but when the lifting-bar descends the convex or roundedface of the trip-head A acts upon the beveled upper end of the latch-baror trigger and forces it backward to the position represented in fulllines, Fig. 1.

The inner edge of the latch-bar or trigger is provided, at a pointconsiderably below the beveled or hook-shaped upper end, with aprojecting lug or tooth H, having a fiat upper side and a beveled lowerside designed to cooperate with the correspondingly-shaped free end ofthe relief-valve-operating lever L. This lever is pivoted at one end toa standard or support rising from the base-frame, and in proximity tothis pivoted end the lever is pivotally attached to the stem V of areliefvalve V, arranged in a valve-casing V, having pipe connections Pand P designed to connect, respectively, with an accumulator orhydraulic pump or other fluid-actuator and the working cylinder of ahydraulic jack or other hydraulic machine. The valve-casing contains apassage P and P by which the pressure fluid may flow from the pipeconnection P to the pipe connection P and the valve-casing isconstructed or otherwise provided with an escape or outlet E, arrangedin the example shown directly under the relief-valve V. Thecommunication between the part P of the passage in the valve-casing andthe pipe connection P which leads to the working cylinder, is controlledby a check valve 0 of any ordinary construction, which, at the propertime, lifts from its seat to permit the pressure fluid to flow to theworking cylinder of the jack or other hydraulic machine.

The outer or free end portion of the reliefvalve-operating lever Lextends through a vertical slot 0, (best seen in Fig. 7,) formed in thelifting-bar B, so that the beveled extremity of the lever may cooperatewith the lug or tooth H on the latch-bar or trigger.

The latch-bar or trigger is acted upon by a suitable spring D, arrangedin or on a part of the frame F, and preferably a set-screw is arrangedin connection with the spring, so that the tension thereof may beincreased or diminished by turning the screw in one or the otherdirection, as will be obvious.

The upper end of the lifting-bar B is provided with a perpendicular rodR, preferably pivoted at its lower end and carrying at its upper portiona collar S which is adj ustable on the rod in any suitable manner,preferably through the medium of a set-screw, so that the collar can beadjusted to the required position and then rigidly secured to the rod. Aspiral or other suitable spring S is arranged upon the rod beneath theadjustable collar, and this spring is adapted to be acted upon by avertically-movable part of a hydraulic jack or other hydraulic machine.The part referred to may be in the form of a horizontal arm or finger S,arranged below the spiral spring and through which the rod R extends, insuch manner that when the arm or finger is raised during the operationof the hydraulic jack the spring S will be raised until it reaches thecollar 8*, when it will be compressed to a certain extent, as will morefully hereinafter appear.

in the operation of my invention, when the parts are in the positionrepresented by full lines, Fig. 1, the pressure fluid flows over therelief-valve V, through the passages P and P an d pipe P to the workingcylinder of'the jack, (not necessary to show,) until sufficientpressurefluid is supplied to the jack and the latter operates. The arm or fingerS will then rise and move the spring S into contact with the collar S onthe rod B. This rod will then rise with the arm or finger and spring andraise the lifting-bar 13 until the lower end of the slot 0 in this barcomes in contact with the outer or free end of the lever L. The pressureof the fluid upon the relief-valve holds the latter to its seat andprevents the lever from rising, thereby stopping the ascent of thelifting-bar and the rod, but the arm or finger, raised by avertically-moving part of the jack, continues to ascend and compressesthe spring against the collar until the springpressure overcomes thefluid-pressure on the relief-valve, at which time the spring willsuddenly force the collar S rod R, and lifting-bar B upward, whichraises the lever L and causes it to instantly open or unseat therelief-valve to its full extent for the free and unobstructed flow ofthe pressure fluid to the escape or outlet E, whereby heating andcutting of the relief-valve and its seat are avoided. This result is notattained where the relief-valve is only raised from its seat,

as heretofore, a limited extent to permit the surplus fluid to passthrough in a comparatively contracted or thin stream.

XVhen the lifting-bar commences its ascent, as above explained, thetrip-head A moves against the beveled upper end of the latchbar ortrigger and rises above the same. The spring D will then cause thelatch-bar or trigger to spring toward the lifting-bar, and consequentlywhen the lever L is raised the required distance to fully open or unseatthe relief-valve the free end of the lever will lie over and besupported by the lug or tooth H on the latch-bar or trigger. Thereforewhen the hydraulic jack or other hydraulic ma chine is in operation andhas raised the arm or finger S, as above stated, until it has opened therelief-valve by raising the lifting-bar, the arm or finger can descend acertain distance before it is possible for the relief-valve to close orbe reseated. The descent of the arm or finger relieves the spring S, andthe liftingbar, descending by gravity, causes the triphead A to trip thelatch-bar from engagement with the lever L, whereupon the lever falls,the relief-valve closes, and the pressure fluid again flows to theworking cylinder of the jack or other hydraulic machine for a repetitionof the operation described.

During the time the relief-valve is held raised from its seat and thepressure fluid from the pipe connection P escapes through the outlet Eof the valve-casing the full heavy pressure of the fluid is not presentin the pipe P and passage P and P and therefore the pressure fluid inuse in the working cylinder of the jack or other hydraulic machine mightrelieve itself by flowing back through the pipe connection P and passageP and P to the escape or outlet E, but this is prevented by the presenceof the check-valve O, which seats itself and prevents the backflow ofthe fluid-pressure. The pressure of the fluid in the jack itself orother hydraulic machine is relieved at any point and by any means at theproper time, as is well known, and there fore it is not deemed necessaryto illustrate any particular mechanism for relieving the pressure in theworking cylinder or jack itself.

By my invention the relief-valve is opened its full extent and a freeand unobstructed passage is provided for the escape of the surpluspressure fluid without danger of heating and cutting the relief-valveand its seat; and, further, the objectionable intermittent jerky actionsof the pump or other fluid-actuator are avoided, because therelief-valve is held unseated for a predetermined time before it istripped, so that it can reseat itself, after which it remains seated apredetermined time before it is again opened or unseated. This rendersthe jack or other hydraulic machine susceptible of performingconsiderable work between the intervals of the application of thepressure fluid to the working cylinder and its divergence and escapefrom the casing of the relief-valve.

The invention is designed for hydraulic apparatus in general, but isparticularly useful in hydraulic systems employed to operate presses forextracting oil from cotton-seed and other articles or substances.

Having thus described my invention,what

on the relief-valve, andmeans for releasing the valve-holdin g devicewhen the lifting-bar descends, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a relief-valve mechanism for a hydraulic machine,of a reliefvalve casing having an escape-outlet and pipe connections toconnect with an accumulator or pump and the cylinder of the hydraulicmachine, a relief-valve V controlling the escape-outlet, a lever Lacting on the reliefvalve, a vertically-movable lifting-bar B, alatch-bar T, a traveling finger S, a spring S, means for causing thelatch-bar to move into engagement with the lever when the latter israised by the lifting-bar, and means for disengaging the latch-bar fromsaid lever as the traveling finger and the lifting-bar descend,substantially as described.

3. The combination with a pressure-fluid relief-valve, and avalve-operating lever, of a lifting-bar for moving the lever to unseatthe valve, a latch-bar or trigger for engaging the lever to hold therelief-valve unseated, means for moving the lifting-bar, and a tripdevice actuated by the lifting-bar to disengage the latch-bar or triggerfrom the valve-operating lever, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

4. The combination with a pressure-fluid relief-valve, of avalve-operatin g lever, a lifting-bar for moving the lever to unseat thevalve, means for moving the lifting-bar in one direction to unseat thevalve, means for moving the lifting-bar in the opposite direction, alatch-bar or trigger for engaging the leverto hold the valve unseated,and a trip device operated by the lifting-bar to disengage the latch-baror trigger from the valveoperating lever, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

5. The combination with a pressure-fluid relief-valve, of avalve-operating lever for unseating the relief-valve, a lifting-bar formoving the lever, a latch-bar or trigger for engag ing the lever to holdthe valve unseated, a traveling arm or finger, a yielding device actedon by the traveling arm or finger to move the lifting-bar in onedirection, anda trip-head actuated by the lifting-bar to disengage thelatch-bar or trigger from the valveoperating lever, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

6. The combination with a pressure-fluid relief-valve, of avalve-operatinglever for unseating the relief-valve, a lifting-bar forraisin g the valve-operating lever, a rod connected with the lifting-barand provided with a collar, a traveling arm or finger, a springinterposed between the arm or finger and the collar, a latch-bar ortrigger for engaging the valveoperating lever to hold the valveunseated, and a trip device operated by the lifting-bar to disengage thelatch-bar or trigger from said lever, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

7. The combination with a pressure-fluid relief-valve, of avalve-operating lever for unseating the relief-valve, a lifting-bar forrais ing the lever to unseat the valve, a rod having a collar,atraveling arm or finger, a spring interposed between the traveling armor finger and the collar, a rocking latch-bar or trigger for supportingthe lever to hold the valve unseated, and a trip-head connected with thelifting-bar for operating the latch-bar or trigger to release thevalve-operatin g lever, substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The combination with a pressure-fluid relief-valve, of a lever forunseating said valve, a lifting-bar having a trip-head, a rod connectedwith the lifting-bar and provided with a collar, an arm or finger, aspring interposed between the arm or finger and the collar, and apivoted spring-pressed latchbar or trigger having means to engageandsupport the valve-operating lever to hold the valve un'seated,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- HQSSGS.

JOSEPH H. I-IUBBELL.

\Vitnesses:

GEO. W. FRANK. J OHN L. H. FRANK.

